“Very rarely did you see primary color, so it was finding what was true to that period,” Davies states.ĭavies’ austerity with the dialogue in favor of relying more on location, spacing, physical expression, lighting and music to tell the story is a very cerebral approach. Color is used sparsely and only in a metaphorical context in the film. The location was chosen based on Davies color palette of blues and greys. Hester’s mental state is illustrated by the use of light. “Light falling window through a window on a subject is another I’m obsessed with, but that’s Vermeer. “What I love are pools of light and textured shadow between them,” Davies states. In contrast, just one light could provide a much-needed warmth and richness. Because Davies grew up during this time period, he felt passionate about recreating the sense of drabness that enveloped London immediately after the war. “There was a sensation of a post-war fatigue that he wanted to feel in the lighting,” says cinematographer Florian Hoffmeister. Included in the DVD, is a feature entitled Realizing the Director’s Vision, which includes interviews that explore Davies’ expectations regarding the look of the film and how they were met. At the same time, he has to be true to the time period of post-war Britain. He uses lighting, spacing, color and locations to enrich the text. How likely is the average moviegoer to make this connection? Davies relies on a manipulation of the senses to explore the deeper meaning of the story. What Terence had understood is the great depths of emotion that lie at the heart of The Deep Blue Sea-despite the period setting, there’s a timeless, classical stature in Hester’s dark night of the soul-and it was this that Terence was keen to reveal.” The piece was new to me-and a revelation in the context of Rattigan’s play. ‘It’s a knockout,’ he said, again with his infectious enthusiasm. “Terence said that he had chosen the music he would like to use: the Second Movement of Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto. According to producer Sean O’Conner Davies had fixated on the score before he even completed the screenplay: It’s the director’s job to guide the audience, so they are able to clearly recognize his vision.Ī perfect example is the music used in the film. This is a likely scenario, if you take into account that many people wil lack familiarity with the stage play. Davies doesn’t consider that viewers, in particular an American audience, will fail to make the correct assumptions and draw accurate conclusions. The film, which remains set in the ’50s, does not follow a linear plotline, which leaves a great deal of room for interpretation regarding certain events. The Deep Blue Sea is meant for an intellectual, discerning audience. Also in the booklet is a very thorough critical analysis of the movie by film editor Scott Tobias along with biographies of Terence Rattigan and director/screenwriter Terence Davies. The Deep Blue Sea’s journey from a successful British play to the big screen is explained in great detail in a booklet included with the DVD. However,the notion of how being in love can change you for good or bad and the subjectiveness of the emotion itself, are themes that remain relatable 60 years later. Because of this, modern audiences may find it difficult relating to or even liking Hester. By today’s standards, the magnitude of Hester’s choices are not nearly as subversive as they were at the time of the play’s conception. It tells the story of a woman named Hester Collyer (Rachel Weisz), who rejects her role as the wife of Sir William Collyer, an affluent judge played by Simon Russell Beale, and engages in a tumultuous love affair with a man named Freddie Page (Tom Hiddleston). The Deep Blue Sea is based on the ’50s stage play written by Terence Rattigan.
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